Hydraulic washing machine



March 26, 1929. A, w H'OWCOTT 1,707,083

HYDRAULIC WASHING MACHINE Filed July s, 1928 s Sheets-Sheet 1 9 Ehw' w g! 28/7 i kii a? 1 ,g 6'0 71%;? H 12' 3 HH? 5!! a;

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ATTORNEY z 1929- H. A. w. HowcoTT 1,707,083

HYDRAULIC WASHING MACHINE Filed July 5, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR WITN ESSES EA-WEB wcoit,

March 26, 1929. H. A. w. Howc oTT HYDRAULIC WASHING MACHINE Filed July 5, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 WITNESSES wl uraaii INV HA.

ATTORN EY Patented a... 26, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

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Application fled July 5, 1928. Serlal 30.290513;

This invention relates tohydraulic washing machines and a primary obect thereof is to construct a machine of this character which may be connected by a hose to a house faucet or hydrant and either hot or cold water used for operating the machine and for cleansing the clothes and by means of which the fresh clean water will constantly pass through the machine in contact with the clothes so that they will be perfectly cleansed and rinsed. Another object of the invention is to so construct a machine of this character that the operatingparts will be housed and protected against water and so positioned that all danger of the .clothing becoming entangled therewith is prevented.

Another object of the invention is to rovide a machine of this character in w ichf- 20 the operating parts are simple and yet ef-' fective and WhlCh is comparatively cheap in construction.

In carrying out these objects, the invention is susceptible of a wide range of modification without departing from the s irit claimed invention; there being shown in the drawings for illustrative purposes a preferred andpractical form, m which:

Figure represents a side elevationof a clothes washer constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section ShOWlI)" a slightly different form of the invention; and

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4.- a tank or container 1 is shown which 'may be of any desired configuration being here shown cylindrical and which has a sloping floor or bottom 2 to provide for the draining off of water through a cock 3, the inner end of which is surrounded by a protective wire mesh cage 4.

' any suitable manner on the container 1 and or sacrificing any of the advantages o1 theT ng he shaft 14 and is provided with outwardly swinging doors 7 to facilitate the entrance of the clothing without removing the top.

Rising at the center of thetop 6 is an auxiliary container 8 desi ed to house'and protect the operating mec anism of the ma-, ch ne. This container 8 is provided with a removable top 9 secured 1n any suitable manner to t e container and depending from which is a water tight vessel or casing 10 in which is mounted a water wheel 11. The shaft 12 of this wheel passes through the bottom of the container 10 and has a crank portion 13 located in the container 8 and from which extends into the contamer 1 a straight portion 14 provided at its lower end with a propellerIFTliis propeller 15 is surrounded by and protected by means 'of a wire mesh cage like casing 16 a which permits the water to ass freely therethrough and 'yet' prevents t e clothing from becoming entangled with the propeller.

The floor or bottom 17 of the container 8' has a guide or water ti ht bushing suris also equipped with similar bushings 19 and 20 through which pass shafts 21 and 22 which extend into the tank 1 and are designed to be reciprocated vertically in a manner presently to be described. These shafts 21 and 22 have mounted thereon spaced. plungers or beaters 23 and 24 which are apertured or cut out as shown at 25.

'A water inlet ipe 26 extends transversely throu h the wal of the container 8 and enters t e container 10 and discharges against the water wheel 11 so that-the force ofthe fluid entering through the pipe 26 will operate to drive the wheel 11 and impart motion to the shaft 12 which transmits its motion to the crank 13 and straight portion 14 therebydriving the propeller 15 and also operating to drive the plungers 2 3 and 24 in a manner presently tobe described.

The pipe 26.0n the outside of the container 8 1s connected to a substantially shaped pipe 27, the branch 28 thereof being connected by valved coupling 29 with the pipe 26 and by means of which the water is controlled through said pipe. A similar coupling 29' connects the branch 28 with another pipe 30 which extends through the side wall of the container 8 and has a; de pending portion 31 which enters a water brackets 35 and 36 and operate to resilientl hold the roller 38 in contact with the roller tight casing 32 located in the container 8.

The roller 37 imparts motion to the roller 38 15- in a well known manner;

Coiled springs 39.are arranged between the journal of the roller 38' and laterally 'extending inturned flanges 39' of the 37. I Two brackets 40 and'41-extend laterally inward from opposed sidewalls of the conportio nfof the tank 1 w ile a similarpl tainer 8 as shown in Fig. 3 and on which are fulcrumed bell crank levers 42 and 43, the lever 42 having one arm thereof loosely connected with a link 44 engaged with the crank portion 13 0f the shaft 12 and its other arm loosely connected with the plunger rod 21. a The lever 43 has one of its arms similar- 1y connected with the link 45 connected with the crank portion 13 or shaft 12 and its other arm loosely. connected with the plunger rod 22 so that on the rotation of the shaft 12 not only the propeller 15 will be driven but the plunger rods 21 and 22 will be reciprocated vertically in o osite directions thereby operating as aters for cleansing the clothing contained in the tank 1 and to agitate the water therein.

A water outlet pi 46 leads from the chamber 10 and disc ar esinto the upper 47 leads from chamber 32 and discharges \into the tank 1 also.- These pipes, it will be understood, carry off the overflow water from the chambers 10 and 32 and discharge it to the .tank where it may be. used for cleansing the clothing therein.

The Y --shaped pipe 27 has a shank por-' tion 27' thereof .connected with an out- I wardly facing U-shaped pipe 48, the

, cocks 5'1 and 52 so that either hot or Iyattfiar may be. supplied to the machine, or

branches of which are connected with pipes 49 and 50, respectively, through which hot and cold water may 'be supplied to the container-and which pipes are controlled by An overflow pi 53 is located within the tank 1 at the'si e where the bottom 2 is lowest and has itsupper end 54 provided with a cup-shaped member enclosed with wire mesh casing 55 to protect it from contact with the clothing and which permits the water, when it reaches a predetermined level within the tank, to flow out and be discharged through the lower end which extends through the side wall of the tank and is provided outside said tank with a regulati cock 56. g

ated on the top 6 of the tank 1 pref erably opposite the side on which the sing wrmger is mounted is an-ironing board 57.

In the form shown in Figs; 5 and 6 the construction is the same as that shown in the other figures except that instead of em-.

ploying the vertically reciprocable plungers 23 and'24 rotary propellers and 61 are provided in the upper portion of thetank 1 and housed withinwire mesh casings 62 and 63 which protect the pro 11ers against contact with the clothing. hese casings y 6 2'and 63 are shown secured to and depending from the guides or bushings 19 and 20 which are carried by the bottom 17 of the container 8.

The-shafts 64 and 65 on which the propellers 60 and 61 are mounted extend through the bushings or guides 19" and 20 to the container 8 and are there provided with crank portions 64 and 65" with which the links 44 and 45 are connected at one end and at their other ends with the crank portion 13 of the shaft 12. The upper portions of these shafts 64 and 65 are ournaled in bearings 66 and 67 carried by the lower face of the top 9 of the container 8. In all other respects the-machine is the same as that described in Figs. 1 to 4 and consequent-ly the same reference numerals have been employed on this form of the invention which correspond with those of the Figs.

.It will thus be seen that the water entering-the chamber 10 through the pipe 26 will rotate the water wheel 11 thereby imparting P rotary motion to the crank shaft 12 and ilarly the water which operates the wheel 31 to drive the ringer passes into said tank so that a constant supply of fresh water is fed to the tank 1 and passes out through the overflow pipe 53, it being understood thatthe drain cock pipe 3 is cut off unless it is desired to draw out all water from the tank 1. The operation of the machine in this form is the same as that in the other form except that the propellers 60 and 61 revolve while in the form shown in Figs. 1 to 4 the beaters reciprocate vertically and alternately.

The downwardly inclining of the bottom 2 of the tank 1 toward oneside provides for the complete drainage of the water from the tank when desired.

It will be obvious that this machine may be quickly and easily connected with an ordinary house faucet or'hydrant and .in opening of the faucet will automatically actuate the machine so that after the clothing hasonce been placed therein no further attention will be necessary until it is desired to remove it when the cutting off of the water will effectively stop the machine and permit claimed.

' I claim:

1. In a clothes washer, a tank for the clothing to be cleailsed and a cleansing fluid therefor, agitating means in said tank exposed to the body of the fluid in the tank, and a hydraulic motor for actuating said agitating means and for supplying cleansing fluid to the tank.

' 2. A washing machine comprising a container, anagitator therein, a chamber arranged aboy e said containerout of communication therewith, a water motor located in said chamber, means for supplying water to operate said motor, means for conducting the wastewater from said motor to said container without contacting with the contents of the chamber, and a connection between said motor and said agitator whereby the latter is actuated by the former.

[3. A Washing machine comprising a con tainer, an agitator therein, a water motor arranged above-said container, a connection between said motor and saidagit'ator whereby the agitator is actuated by the motor, means for supplying Water under pressure to operate said motor, and a pipe connecting said motor with said container for conducting the waste water of the motor to the confrom tainer without contact of said water with the operating mechanism.

4. washing machine comprising a container, an agitator therein, a water motor located above said container, a crank shaft connecting said motor with said agitator whereby the. agitator is actuated by the motor, means for supplying water under pressure to operate the motor, a pipe leading from said motor to said container to conduct the waste water from the former to the latter, and an overflow pipe mounted in said container to conduct water-therefrom after it reaches a; predeterminedpoint.

5. A washing machine comprising a container, a plurality of agitators located therein, a Water motor arranged above said container, a crank shaft connected with said motor and with one of said agitators for imparting rotaryinotion to the agitator, a

connection between said crank shaft and the other agitators for imparting a reciprocatory motion thereto, and means for supplying water under pressure to the motor for operating it.

6. A washing machine comprising a container having a bottom inclined downwardl Iflounted in said side near the bottom to drain the container, an agitator insaid container, a water motor connected to operate said agitator, a discharge pipe leading from said motor to said container whereby water is continuously supplied to the container during the operation of the motor, and means for discharging the water from/the container.

7. A clothes washer comprising a tank for the clothing to be cleansed and a cleansing fluid therefor, fluid agitating means in said tankexposed to the body of fluid in the tank, fluid actuated means for operating said agitating means, and means for conducting the actuating fluid to the tank without its contact with the operating mechanism.

Signed at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, this 2nd day of July, 1928.

HARLEY A. W, HOWCOTT.

toward oncside thereof, an outlet pipe 

